Your development

Starting your development journey

Building experience through cooperation and collaboration. Structured development programmes. Using technology in learning. These are all the core parts of your development journey with us. We also have a real sense of community with support and guidance from your mentor. Several programmes include study and exams that lead to professional qualifications. And there’s the opportunity to contribute to charity and community projects too.

F1 So during the graduate programme there’s a lot of focus on personal development, and there’s an overarching framework of development which consists of sort of four aspects including career development, leadership and personal growth, and so during this time you do sort of a lot of personal reflection, learn about how you work in teams, how your personal leadership is, what sort of impact you have on other people.

F2 One of the things that really helped me was looking at our key skills and our personality types. It really helped me to understand why I approach some situations in the way that I do, how my colleagues will sometimes approach them differently, and actually important for developing yourself as a person, and within a professional context.

M1 The rotational nature of the graduate programme means that you’re meeting and networking with people throughout the business.

F3 You get so much opportunity just to shape where you go, so you can really decide what’s important to you, what you want to learn about, and choose your placements based on that. Obviously it is subject to there being something for you to work on, and as long as you’re adding value to both yourself and to the business. So my first placement was in customer marketing, and my second one has been in business marketing. I’m just scoping out the third one at the moment, so there’s lots of options available.

M2 The graduate programme is helping me to develop my analytical ability and my ability to communicate my ideas with the rest of my team. It’s also helping me to get the relevant qualifications, and Standard Life really push and encourage and support you to do those qualifications.

F4 The benefits that I really found from going to college especially, is that I can come back and use that knowledge and apply it into everyday work life, and I’ve seen my development grow from that, and I’ve found that my mentors and my reporting managers have seen that too.

F5 I feel that by being given my own projects to work on, and by being allowed to work autonomously or with the support from the team, but also about being give the opportunity to go on training and development courses, it’s really allowed me to play to my strengths.

M3 You’re given lots of structured support as a graduate at Standard Life. I have a stream head, as well as a placement manager, and I’ve also been assigned a mentor that’s helped shape my career, and a buddy who has been on the scheme, but only a year before. For me, though, the best kind of support I have is that everyone in the company is willing to give up their time and help

F6 In Standard Life Investments I received great support. I have a really close relationship with my manager, he is kind of also my mentor. Apart from that we have a very close graduate community, and in the company we’re also encouraged to go for coffee with our colleagues, expand our networks, so I feel very supported.

M4 I think the grad programme’s helped me develop both personally and professionally in very different ways. I was moving to a new country, it was my first professional job, so the fact that they set you up in accommodation if you’re moving from abroad, that’s a great help. You have mentors, buddy systems, all very helpful personally, and then professionally the rotations is something I’d really stress that to people, that’s something which you won’t get at other companies. I’ve been able to work in very, very different projects, across different teams, over different regions.

F7 The kind of work that you do in these programmes will last you through your whole career, and so it should give you that really good foundation, that good start to your graduate career.

Induction day

Meet your peers, start your network and find out where you’ll be working. for the next six months.

Coffee sessions

Meet senior leaders and talk about how you’re getting on.

Career insights days

Hear colleagues from different parts of our business share their career journeys.

Community Challenge

Work as a team to deliver a sustainability project for a local charity.

Training courses

Get career ready with professional training for things like presentation skills, CV & interview coaching, and communications. Available throughout your placement.

Induction day

During your induction day you will meet other new trainees, hear from former trainees and learn more about our business, strategy and ambitions.

On the job training

Your manager and colleagues will provide you with help, guidance and support as you learn your role.

Development sessions

During your 12 months, you’ll get access to a variety of development opportunities. From informal sessions with senior leaders to formal courses in essential skills like communications, effective presenting and how to influence decision-making. We also run ‘career-ready’ sessions for CV writing, setting up your professional profile on sites like LinkedIn and interview techniques to help you get your next job.

Mentor and buddy

Your buddy – a former trainee – will offer help and support in your day to day work. You will also have a mentor to give advice and guidance on your role and career development.

Networks

The group you meet on induction day is your first professional network. We organise a calendar of get togethers – e.g. lunch and learns and other development sessions –and you’re encouraged to expand and build your own networks too.

Future roles

June 2017

Your first four weeks are made up of setting your goals and success criteria, exploring your personal strengths, networking and 1:1s with your placement manager. You’ll also hear from colleagues who will share their career journeys at Standard Life.

July 2017

Weeks 5 to 7 include your mid-placement review, skills development in areas like presentation skills and a Sustainability team Challenge.

August 2016

Weeks 8 to 10 include a final presentation to your peers and senior managers, a performance review from your placement manager and, of course, a celebration event.

June 2017

Welcome Day for all new graduate recruits. Meet your peers, find out more about our business and our strategic direction.

September 2017

Graduate induction. Network with your peers, find out more about your graduate stream and your development plans, meet your manager and your team.

October 2017

Graduate conference. Meet senior leaders, learn about our business and strategy, begin to focus on your personal development and how you can best manage your future career.

Spring 2018

Sustainability charity challenge. Work as a team to deliver a sustainability project to a local charity within Scotland. Illustrate your teamwork and leadership skills as you play to your strengths in order to deliver for a client.

Spring 2019

Graduation conference. Supporting your career management and future as you get ready to leave the graduate programme.